CHAPTER XI.

A CHANGE FOR KATE.

REUBEN ROY went back to his work in Birmingham looking "like himself," as his mother fondly said. With fresh hopes and a renewed determination to acquit himself well, he presented himself the next morning at the works. The hearty greeting and warm congratulations he received from old Samuel were but a sample of what awaited him from most of the "hands." Those who had looked coldly and even scornfully on him in the time of his trouble were now anxious to atone for their mistake.

Reuben was touched by the kind words which reached him from all sides, and the universal pleasure which his return with restored character seemed to give. But his satisfaction was still greater when Mr. Akenside told him that he was not to return to his former work, but was in future to fill a post at the works which involved considerable responsibility.

"It has never before been given to one so young as yourself," the master said. "But I know that I can trust 'you,' Reuben Roy."

It was too late when he left the works that evening to go to the hospital. But the next day being Saturday, Reuben availed himself of his leisure in the afternoon to visit Kate Barnaby. He was very anxious to see her, for his mother had entrusted him with a message for the poor girl, which he believed would give her pleasure.

He found that Kate had made great advances during his absence. She had left her bed, and was sitting in a pleasant room adjoining the ward with some other convalescents, to whom she was chatting with somewhat of her old brightness. But the change of position and dress only made more apparent the traces of suffering. Kate looked weak and worn. The scars on her neck showed plainly, and her head seemed slightly drawn on one side by them. But she told Reuben with a wistful look that she was now almost well, and was to leave the hospital early in the following week.

"Have you thought where you will go?" he asked.

She shook her head. "To the old place, I suppose. P'raps you'd be so kind, Reuben, as to speak to the foreman about my coming back to the works."

"You'll not be fit for work yet, Kate."

"I 'must' be fit soon," she said impatiently; "though, thanks to Mr. Akenside, I need not trouble about it at once."

"How would you like to go and stay with my mother at Ashworth, Kate?"

"Oh, Reuben," she said, drawing a deep breath, "how I would like it! I haven't seen the country for ever so long. And I've never spent more than a day in the country at a time. But what can make you say such a thing?"

"It's my mother's own thought, Kate. She told me to ask you if you would like to come to her for a bit."

"How good of her! Oh, I should like it. But, Reuben, there are so many of you at home, and your mother's always so busy. I should be a trouble to her, I'm afraid."

"You don't know my mother if you say that. She never makes a trouble of anything. She gets through more in a day than most women, I'll be bold to say, and yet she never seems cross or driven. I think it is because she has a knack of taking hold of things by the smooth handle."

"She must be a good woman," said Kate thoughtfully. "But, Reuben, I don't know about going. You've made the best of me to your mother, I guess. But when she sees the kind of girl I am, she'll not like me. You see, I never had no chance of being different."

"Maybe this is your chance, Kate."

"Ay, I've thought of that. Do you know, Reuben, I've prayed God many a time since I've been ill to help me to be different when I got about again."

"Then this is the answer to your prayer. Mother 'll help you. She'll love you, Kate."

"Love me!" repeated the girl incredulously. "I like that. If she's the kind of woman I take her to be, she's more likely to look down on me, I should think."

"Well, she's not that kind of woman, anyway. And you said just now that she was a good woman, Kate."

"But don't the good people always look down on the bad? I should, I know, if I were good."

"You wouldn't be good if you felt so. And, indeed, no one is good, if you come to that. No one ever was good save Jesus Christ. But some of us are trying to follow in His steps, and to be good and true and loving as He was."

"And didn't He look down upon wicked people?"

"Oh no, Kate. You know better than that. Don't you remember how kind and good He was to many a poor outcast—how He forgave them and helped them to become better? Why, that was one of the things that made the Scribes and Pharisees so angry with Him. 'This Man receiveth sinners,' they said."

"All religious folk are not like that," said Kate. "I've known them that 'd shrink away from me as though I was something poisonous."

"Then they did not show the spirit of Christ," said Reuben. "A Christian is one who calls Jesus Christ his Master, and is bound to obey Him. Now one of the chief commands of Jesus to His servants is that they should love others."

"You do that," said Kate, "and I suppose your mother's like you. I thank her kindly, Reuben, and I'll go if she's sure she can do with me. Maybe I'll get religion whilst I'm there."

"I hope you'll learn to know Him whom to know is life everlasting," said Reuben, reverently; "that is the only true religion, Kate."

A few days later Reuben had the pleasure of seeing Kate off by rail for Ashworth.

With mingled hopes and fears, the girl set out to begin what was to be for her in deepest verity a new life.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]